the lesser bourgeoisie-第59章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　mayor　rather　〃caustic；〃　he　made　as　if　he　intended　to　take　leave　of
him。　In　order　to　reach　their　respective　homes　they　did　not　always　take
the　same　way。

〃Are　you　going　through　the　Luxembourg？〃　asked　Minard；　not　allowing
Phellion　to　give　him　the　slip。

〃I　shall　cross　it；　but　I　have　an　appointment　to　meet　Madame　Phellion
and　the　little　Barniols　at　the　end　of　the　grand　alley。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Minard；　〃I'll　go　with　you　and　have　the　pleasure　of　making
my　bow　to　Madame　Phellion；　and　I　shall　get　the　fresh　air　at　the　same
time；　for；　in　spite　of　hearing　fine　things；　one's　head　gets　tired　at
the　business　we　have　just　been　about。〃

Minard　had　felt　that　Phellion　gave　rather　reluctant　assent　to　his
sharp　remarks　about　the　new　establishment　of　the　Thuilliers；　and　he
did　not　attempt　to　renew　the　subject；　but　when　he　had　Madame　Phellion
for　a　listener；　he　was　very　sure　that　his　spite　would　find　an　echo。

〃Well；　fair　lady；〃　he　began；　〃what　did　you　think　of　yesterday's
dinner？〃

〃It　was　very　fine；〃　replied　Madame　Phellion；　〃as　I　tasted　that　soup　'a
la　bisque'　I　knew　that　some　caterer；　like　Chevet；　had　supplanted　the
cook。　But　the　whole　affair　was　dull；　it　hadn't　the　gaiety　of　our　old
meetings　in　the　Latin　quarter。　And　then；　didn't　it　strike　you；　as　it
did　me；　that　Madame　and　Mademoiselle　Thuillier　no　longer　seemed
mistresses　of　their　own　house？　I　really　felt　as　if　I　were　the　guest　of
Madamewhat　IS　her　name？　I　never　can　remember　it。〃

〃Torna；　Comtesse　de　Godollo；〃　said　Phellion；　intervening。　〃The　name　is
euphonious　enough　to　remember。〃

〃Euphonious　if　you　like；　my　dear；　but　to　me　it　never　seems　a　name　at
all。〃

〃It　is　a　Magyar；　or　to　speak　more　commonly；　a　Hungarian　name。　Our　own
name；　if　we　wanted　to　discuss　it；　might　be　said　to　be　a　loan　from　the
Greek　language。〃

〃Very　likely；　at　any　rate　we　have　the　advantage　of　being　known；　not
only　in　our　own　quarter；　but　throughout　the　tuition　world；　where　we
have　earned　an　honorable　position；　while　this　Hungarian　countess；　who
makes；　as　they　say；　the　good　and　the　bad　weather　in　the　Thuilliers'
home；　where　does　she　come　from；　I'd　like　to　know？　How　did　such　a　fine
lady；for　she　has　good　manners　and　a　very　distinguished　air；　no　one
denies　her　that；how　came　she　to　fall　in　love　with　Brigitte；　who；
between　ourselves；　keeps　a　sickening　odor　of　the　porter's　lodge　about
her。　For　my　part；　I　think　this　devoted　friend　is　an　intriguing
creature；　who　scents　money；　and　is　scheming　for　some　future　gain。〃

〃Ah　ca！〃　said　Minard；　〃then　you　don't　know　the　original　cause　of　the
intimacy　between　Madame　la　Comtesse　de　Godollo　and　the　Thuilliers？〃

〃She　is　a　tenant　in　their　house；　she　occupies　the　entresol　beneath
their　apartment。〃

〃True；　but　there's　something　more　than　that　in　it。　Zelie；　my　wife；
heard　it　from　Josephine；　who　wanted；　lately；　to　enter　our　service；　the
matter　came　to　nothing；　for　Francoise；　our　woman；　who　thought　of
marrying；　changed　her　mind。　You　must　know；　fair　lady；　that　it　was
solely　Madame　de　Godollo　who　brought　about　the　emigration　of　the
Thuilliers；　whose　upholsterer；　as　one　might　say；　she　is。〃

〃What！　their　upholsterer？〃　cried　Phellion；〃that　distinguished　woman；
of　whom　one　may　truly　say；　'Incessu　patuit　dea'；　which　in　French　we
very　inadequately　render　by　the　expression；　'bearing　of　a　queen'？〃

〃Excuse　me；〃　said　Minard。　〃I　did　not　mean　that　Madame　de　Godollo　is
actually　in　the　furniture　business；　but；　at　the　time　when　Mademoiselle
Thuillier　decided；　by　la　Peyrade's　advice；　to　manage　the　new　house
herself；　that　little　fellow；　who　hasn't　all　the　ascendancy　over　her
mind　he　thinks　he　has；　couldn't　persuade　her　to　move　the　family　into
the　splendid　apartment　where　they　received　us　yesterday。　Mademoiselle
Brigitte　objected　that　she　should　have　to　change　her　habits；　and　that
her　friends　and　relations　wouldn't　follow　her　to　such　a　distant
quarter〃

〃It　is　quite　certain；〃　interrupted　Madame　Phellion；　〃that　to　make　up
one's　mind　to　hire　a　carriage　every　Sunday；　one　wants　a　prospect　of
greater　pleasure　than　can　be　found　in　that　salon。　When　one　thinks
that；　except　on　the　day　of　the　famous　dance　of　the　candidacy；　they
never　once　opened　the　piano　in　the　rue　Saint…Dominique！〃

〃It　would　have　been；　I　am　sure；　most　agreeable　to　the　company　to　have
a　talent　like　yours　put　in　requisition；〃　remarked　Minard；　〃but　those
are　not　ideas　that　could　ever　come　into　the　mind　of　that　good
Brigitte。　She'd　have　seen　two　more　candles　to　light。　Five…franc　pieces
are　her　music。　So；　when　la　Peyrade　and　Thuillier　insisted　that　she
should　move　into　the　apartment　in　the　Place　de　la　Madeleine；　she
thought　of　nothing　but　the　extra　costs　entailed　by　the　removal。　She
judged；　rightly　enough；　that　beneath　those　gilded　ceilings　her　old
'penates'　might　have　a　singular　effect。〃

〃See　how　all　things　link　together；〃　remarked　Phellion；　〃and　how；　from
the　summits　of　society；　luxury　infiltrates　itself；　sooner　or　later；
through　the　lower　classes；　leading　to　the　ruin　of　empires。〃　

〃You　are　broaching　there；　my　dear　commander；〃　said　Minard；　〃one　of　the
most　knotty　questions　of　political　economy。　Many　good　minds　think；　on
the　contrary；　that　luxury　is　absolutely　demanded　in　the　interests　of
commerce；　which　is　certainly　the　life　of　States。　In　any　case；　this
view；　which　isn't　yours；　appears　to　have　been　that　of　Madame　de
Godollo；　for；　they　tell　me；　her　apartment　is　very　coquettishly
furnished；　and　to　coax　Mademoiselle　Brigitte　into　the　same　path　of
elegance　she　made　a　proposal　to　her　as　follows：　'A　friend　of　mine；'
she　said；　'a　Russian　princess　for　whom　one　of　the　first　upholsterers
has　just　made　splendid　furniture；　is　suddenly　recalled　to　Russia　by
the　czar；　a　gentleman　with　whom　no　one　dares　to　trifle。　The　poor　woman
is　therefore　obliged　to　turn　everything　she　owns　here　into　money　as
fast　as　possible；　and　I　feel　sure　she　would　sell　this　furniture　for
ready　money　at　a　quarter　of　the　price　it　cost　her。　All　of　it　is　nearly
new；　and　some　things　have　never　been　used　at　all。'〃

〃So；〃　cried　Madame　Phellion；　〃all　that　magnificence　displayed　before
our　eyes　last　night　was　a　magnificent　economical　bargain？〃

〃Just　so；〃　replied　Minard；　〃and　the　thing　that　decided　Mademoiselle
Brigitte　to　take　that　splendid　chance　was　not　so　much　the　desire　to
renew　her　shabby　furniture　as　the　idea　of　doing　an　excellent　stroke　of
business。　In　that　old　maid　there's　always　something　of　Madame　la
Ressource　in　Moliere's　'Miser。'〃

〃I　think；　Monsieur　le　maire；　that　you　are　mistaken；〃　said　Phellion。
〃Madame　la　Ressource　is　a　character　in　'Turcaret；'　a　very　immoral　play
by　the　late　Le　Sage。〃

〃Do　you　think　so？〃　said　Minard。　〃Well；　very　likely。　But　what　is
certain　is　that；　though　the　barrister　ingratiated　himself　with
Brigitte　in　helping　her　to　buy　the　house；　it　was　by　this　clever
jockeying　about　the　furniture　that　the　foreign　countess　got　upon　the
footing　with　Brigitte　that　you　now　see。　You　may　have　remarked；
perhaps；　that　a　struggle　is　going　on　between　those　two　influences；
which　we　may　designate　as　the　house；　and　its　furniture。〃

〃Yes；　certainly；〃　said　Madame　Phellion；　with　a　beaming　expression　that
bore　witness　to　the　interest　she　took　in　the　conversation；　〃it　did
seem　to　me　that　the　great　lady　allowed　herself　to　contradict　the
barrister；　and　did　it；　too；　with　a　certain　sharpness。〃

〃Very　marked　sharpness；〃　resumed　Minard；　〃and　that　intriguing　fellow
perceives　it。　It　strikes　me　that　the　lady's　hostility　makes　him
uneasy。　The　Thuilliers　he　got　cheaply；　for；　between　ourselves　you
know；　there's　not　much　in　Thuillier　himself；　but　he　feels　now　that　he
has　met　a　tough　adversary；　and　he　is　looking　anxiously　for　a　weak　spot
on　which　to　attack　her。〃

〃Well；　that's　justice；〃　said　Madame　Phellion。　〃For　some　time　past　that
man；　who　used　to　make　himself　so　small　and　humble；　has　been　taking
airs　of　authority　in　the　house　which　are　quite　intolerable；　he　behaves
openly　as　the　son…in…law；　and　you　know　very　well；　in　that　affair　of
Thuillier's　election　he　jockeyed　us　all；　and　made　us　the　stepping…
stone　for　his　matrimonial　ambition。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　can　assure　you；〃　said　Minard；　〃that　at　the　present　time
his　influence　is　waning。　In　the　first　place；　he　won't　find　every